Swimming Pool Sisterhood...

Every morning, several women (probably ages 55-80) show up to the gym in their sexy one-piece brightly flowered swimsuits to do swim aerobics.  Most of them wear lovely swim caps and brightly colored swim shoes.  They are all wrinkly, some have see-through skin...yes, I just wrote that...and are chatting up a storm...LOUDLY.  Shrill laughs echo off the shower room walls...jokes fly like birds...it's such a positive welcoming space!  (This morning the pools heat was off...did that stop these women??  NOPE. "Bring on the cold," they said!)

Many of these women are widows coming for a social hour, many are trying to stay active and in shape, and others are there just because they love the water.  They come in all shapes, sizes, and races.  Most importantly, they come for each other...

When I think about aging...I initially feel fear, fear about being alone.  Fear about death.  Fear about everything...but seeing these women, makes me feel at peace.  They aren't complaining about how they look in a bathing suit, or how their hair caps make them look like human eggs, or how OLD they are.  NO...they are joyful in each other's presence.  They are grateful for their swimming pool sisterhood...despite so many differences.

 Each day, God-willingly, allows another breath, another decision and choice, and the ability to grow and be...I hope to make each space I encounter as special as the swimming pool sisterhood...joyful...just less humid, it messes with my fro. :)